Festivals of Bhutan (Thimphu Festival) — Self-Launched Version
12 days · Nepal & Bhutan
Explore! charges £5,560
No-markup version: ~£2,880 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 12-day self-launched take on Explore!'s Bhutan festival group tour: two days of Kathmandu temples and bazaars, then the flight over the Himalaya into Paro for the Punakha valley, the crane-filled Phobjikha bowl, and Thimphu's masked-dance festival, finishing with the Tiger's Nest hike. Bhutan is the one destination where you can't simply show up — the Sustainable Development Fee (US$100/night) and a licensed local guide are mandatory, so the "self-launched" savings here come from booking hostels/guesthouses in Kathmandu directly, using Bhutanese ground agents or Druk Ride-style shared transport, buying festival tickets at the gate, and swapping the operator's margin for your own planning. Budget much of the saving back into the mandatory Bhutan fees and flights — realistic independent costs land around £2,800-3,400 all-in ex-flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Kathmandu — Thamel orientation
Kathmandu, Nepal
Land at Tribhuvan International, grab a prepaid taxi to Thamel (NPR 800-1,000 / ~£5-6) or a local bus if you're feeling brave. Check into a Thamel hostel dorm or private room, then wander the lanes for momos and dal bhat at a local bhatti (Thakali Kitchen or OR2K area) — budget ~£4-6 for dinner. Sort your Bhutan visa and SDF payment online in advance (visit.doi.gov.bt) if you haven't already; the TCB visa approval usually takes 5 working days.
🚌Airport prepaid taxi ~£6
🛏Thamel hostel private room or dorm, e.g. Alobar1000 or Zostel Kathmandu (~£10-15)
- →Thamel street wander
- →Nepali dinner (momos, dal bhat)
- →Confirm Bhutan visa/SDF online
Kathmandu to Paro — the Himalayan flight
Paro, Bhutan
Take the morning Druk Air or Bhutan Airlines flight KTM-PBH (book directly on their sites, ~£230-300 one way; sit left side for Everest views). Your TCB-approved guide meets you at Paro — a guide is legally required throughout Bhutan and costs ~£35-45/day, well worth splitting if you can join a small group via a Bhutanese agent like Bhutan Travel Bureau or Book Bhutan. Afternoon visit to Rinpung Dzong and the Paro town lanes if time allows.
🚌Druk Air flight ~£260; guide pickup included
🛏Paro guesthouse e.g. Tashi Namgay or Sonam's Guesthouse (~£30-40 B&B)
- →Scenic KTM-PBH flight
- →Rinpung Dzong
- →Paro town walk
Paro over Dochu La to Punakha
Punakha, Bhutan
Shared or private 4WD with your guide (Bhutan has no real public bus network on this route — a hired car with driver runs ~£60-80/day, split among 2-4 people). Climb to Dochu La pass (3,100m) for the 108 chortens and Himalayan panorama, then descend to subtropical Punakha. Stop at Chimi Lhakhang, the fertility temple, reached by a 20-minute walk through rice paddies.
🚌Hired car with driver ~£70/day split
🛏Punakha guesthouse/homestay (~£30-40)
- →Dochu La pass
- →108 chortens viewpoint
- →Chimi Lhakhang walk
Punakha Dzong and Khamsum Yulley hike
Punakha, Bhutan
Early visit to Punakha Dzong at the river confluence before tour buses arrive. Then hike up to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten — a 2-hour round trip through terraced fields with views over the valley. Afternoon at a farmhouse for yak butter tea and ara (local rice wine), the classic Bhutanese homestay experience — book through your guesthouse the night before, ~£8-10.
🚌Local car transfers ~£15
🛏Punakha guesthouse/homestay (~£30-40)
- →Punakha Dzong
- →Khamsum Yulley Chorten hike
- →Farmhouse butter tea visit
Punakha to Phobjikha valley
Phobjikha, Bhutan
Drive over the Pele La (3,420m) to the glacial Phobjikha valley, winter home of the black-necked cranes (arriving late Oct-Mar). Visit Gangtey Monastery and the Black-Necked Crane Information Centre, then take an easy 1-2 hour valley floor walk among potato fields and yak pastures. It's cold up here at 2,900m — pack a warm layer.
🚌Hired car with driver ~£70/day split
🛏Phobjikha guesthouse (~£30-40)
- →Pele La pass
- →Gangtey Monastery
- →Crane Information Centre
- →Phobjikha valley walk
Phobjikha to Thimphu
Thimphu, Bhutan
Long scenic drive back over the passes to the capital. In Thimphu, visit the King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck Memorial Chorten, then stroll the main street — the only capital without traffic lights. Optional: the Simply Bhutan living museum and the textile museum (a reviewer favourite). Buy your Thimphu Festival tickets in advance through the festival's official vendor or your guide, ~Nu 1,000 (~£9) per day.
🚌Hired car with driver ~£70/day split
🛏Thimphu budget hotel/guesthouse (~£30-40)
- →Memorial Chorten
- →Thimphu main street stroll
- →National Textile Museum
Thimphu Festival — masked dances
Thimphu, Bhutan
Arrive at Tashichhoedzong courtyard early for a good seat at the Thimphu Tshechu. Spend the day watching chhams — the masked sacred dances performed by monks in silk brocade — with drums, horns and crowds of Bhutanese families in gho and kira. Wear your own gho or kira (rentable in town for ~£10-15) to fit right in.
🚌Short taxi/walk ~£5
🛏Thimphu budget hotel/guesthouse (~£30-40)
- →Thimphu Tshechu masked dances
- →Local fair food stalls
- →Gho/kira rental and photo ops
Festival Day Two and the Weaving Centre
Thimphu, Bhutan
Second day of the festival — blessing ceremonies and more dances. Afternoon visit to the Green Weaving Centre or the National Handicrafts Emporium to see weaving and thangka painting. Evening: the capital's 8th-century Druk Wangyel walks and craft cafés (Bhutan Kitchen for traditional food, ~£8).
🚌Taxi ~£5
🛏Thimphu budget hotel/guesthouse (~£30-40)
- →Thimphu Festival day 2
- →Green Weaving Centre
- →Craft café dinner
Thimphu to Paro — Tiger's Nest hike
Paro, Bhutan
Drive to Paro in the morning and start the Taktsang (Tiger's Nest) hike by 9am — 3km each way, roughly 2-3 hours up and 1.5-2 hours down, ~900m ascent. Take the cafés at the halfway viewpoint for a fuel stop. Finish with Kyichu Lhakhang, one of Bhutan's oldest temples. Bring water, poles and layers; the altitude makes it harder than the distance suggests.
🚌Thimphu-Paro car ~£50
🛏Paro guesthouse (~£30-40)
- →Taktsang Monastery hike
- →Kyichu Lhakhang
- →Paro hot stone bath (optional ~£12)
Paro to Kathmandu — Kathmandu heritage loop
Kathmandu, Nepal
Morning flight back to Kathmandu (~£230-300 one way). Afternoon self-launched heritage walk: Kathmandu Durbar Square (ticket ~£10), Kumari Ghar, then a 20-minute walk through Asan Bazaar's spice and fabric lanes. Bus or taxi to Pashupatinath (~£2) for the evening aarti on the Bagmati ghats, and finish at Boudhanath Stupa for a kora circuit at dusk.
🚌Paro-Kathmandu flight ~£260; local taxis ~£10
🛏Thamel hostel private room (~£12-18)
- →Kathmandu Durbar Square
- →Kumari Ghar
- →Asan Bazaar walk
- →Pashupatinath evening aarti
- →Boudhanath kora
Kathmandu — Bhaktapur and Swayambhunath
Kathmandu, Nepal
Day trip by local bus or taxi to Bhaktapur Durbar Square (~£10 entry, bus NPR 50 from Ratna Park) — the best-preserved medieval town in the valley, with juju dhau (king curd) and pottery square. Return via Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple), climbing the 365 steps for sunset over the city. Budget ~£10 in transport if you use local buses, more like £18 by taxi.
🚌Local bus/taxi ~£12
🛏Thamel hostel private room (~£12-18)
- →Bhaktapur Durbar Square
- →Pottery Square
- →Swayambhunath at sunset
Depart Kathmandu
Kathmandu, Nepal
Final masala tea and momos in Thamel, farewell gift shopping in Asan, then prepaid taxi to Tribhuvan International for your flight home. Keep a spare half-day's buffer for Himalayan weather delays on any onward flight.
🚌Prepaid taxi to airport ~£6
🛏None (departure day)
- →Last-minute shopping in Asan
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. Explore!
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Explore! | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£2,880 | £5,560 |
| Duration | 12 days | 12 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,680 per person (48%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Explore!-style trips? Check them out here.~£2,880
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Festivals of Bhutan (Thimphu Festival) — Self-Launched Version cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £2,880 per person for 12 days in Nepal & Bhutan. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Explore!?+
Yes — Explore! charges around £5,560 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £2,880 — a saving of roughly £2,680 (48%) per person.
How long is the Nepal & Bhutan trip?+
This itinerary runs 12 days, covering 12 day-by-day stops through Nepal & Bhutan.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, hiking, festivals trip through Nepal & Bhutan, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.